Molybdenum complexes Schrock-type

Alkylidene carbonyl iridium complexes, reactions, 7, 275 Alkylidene compounds, NLO properties, 12, 121 Alkylidene-containing complexes, in molybdenum complexes, Schrock-type complexes, 5, 524 a-Alkylidene cyclic carbonyl compounds, isomerization,... 

Olefin metathesis is a useful tool for the formation of unsaturated C-C bonds in organic synthesis, and the reaction has been generally accepted to proceed through a series of metallacyclobutanes and carbene complexe intermediates [40-43]. For this type of reaction, the most widely used catalysts include an alkoxyl imido molybdenum complex (Schrock catalyst) [44] and a benzylidene ruthenium complex (Grubbs catalyst) [43]. The former is air- and moisture-sensitive and has some other drawbacks such as intolerance to many functional groups and impurities the latter has increased tolerance to water and many reactions have been used in aqueous solution without any loss of catalytic efficiency. 

The molybdenum complex 1, a typical high-valent Schrock-type carbene, efficiently catalyzes the self-metathesis of styrene. On the other hand, the cationic iron complex 3 does not induce metathesis but stoichiometrically cyclopropanates styrene. The tungsten complex 2, again a Fischer-type carbene complex, mediates... 

In particular, Schrock-type catalysts suffered from extreme moisture and air sensitivity because of the high oxidation state of the metal center, molybdenum. Due to the oxophilicity of the central atom, polar or protic functional groups coordinate to the metal center, poisoning the catalyst and rendering it inactive for metathesis. Since late transition metal complexes are typically more stable in the presence of a wide range of functionalities, research was focused on the creation of late transition metal carbene complexes for use as metathesis catalysts. 

Metal alkylidyne complexes undergo a variety of oxidation and reduction reactions as well as redox-induced transformations of the alkylidyne ligands. A method for the direct transformation of Fischer-type carbyne complexes into Schrock-type alkylidyne complexes was developed in our laboratory. Bromine oxidation of the /ra/7, -carbyne bromo tetracarbonyl complexes 49 of molybdenum and tungsten in the presence of dimethox-yethane affords the dme-stabilized alkylidyne tribromo metal complexes 50 [Eq. (42)] (81). For alkyl-substituted complexes (R = Me, CH2CMe3)... 

A very active heterogeneous olefin metathesis catalyst was prepared by reaction of a reduced Philipps catalyst with Fischer-type molybdenum or tungsten carbene or carbyne complexes or with Schrock-type carbyne complexes [L3WsC(Bu )j (L = Cl, O(Bu ), neopentyl).Surface species of the type shown in Scheme 2... 

In 1976 Fischer had tested the ROMP reactions of cycloalkanes with carbyne tungsten(O) complexes as catalysts (6). With addition of Lewis acids as cocatalysts the Fischer type carbyne complexes were active in cycloalkane metathesis polymerisation. Fischer type carbyne complexes are also active catalysts for alkyne polymerisations, as found by Katz in 1984 (7). The catalytic reactions of Schrock type carbyne tungsten(VI) or molybdenum(VI) complexes were focussed on alkyne metatheses reactions (8). 

Schrock and Fischer type carbyne tungsten or molybdenum complexes are very interesting catalysts for alkene metathesis or alkyne polymerisation reactions. Within the first reaction steps they form carbene complexes and on these carbene complexes further metathesis or polymerisation occur. 

Heppekausen J, Piirstner A. Rendering schrock-type molybdenum alkylidene complexes air stable user-friendly precatalysts for alkene metathesis. Angew Chem Int Ed. 2011 50(34) 7829-7832. 

Bunz found that molybdenum carbyne complexes of the Schrock-type are highly suitable for this purpose 44 —> 45, 46 (Scheme 11.19) [149]. Alkoxy substituents facilitate the generation of oligomers with a low molecular mass [149]. 

The ruthenium compounds described above show a distinctly lower metathetic activity than the molybdenum alkenylidene complex 24 developed by Schrock et al. (Fig. 4, see also the chapter by R.R. Schrock, this volume) [18], which is another standard catalyst for any type of olefin metathesis reaction. However, they... 

Olefin metathesis is a unique reaction and is only possible by transition metal catalysis. In fact only complexes of Mo, W, Re, and Ru are known to catalyze olefin metathesis. Once it was known that metallocarbenes were the actual catalytic species, a variety of metal carbene complexes were prepared and evaluated as catalysts. Two types of catalysts have emerged as the most useful overall. The molybdenum-based catalysts developed by Schrock and ruthenium-based catalysts developed by Grubbs. 

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